All American Comics
by D
Summary: Heroes from across the nation! Featuring the Green Lantern!


All American Comics 1

The Origin of the Green Lantern!

The ancient past

Across the galaxy, past countless galaxies and stars was the planet Oa. A small green dot in an endless sea of night. The planet was home to many things but the Guardians of the Universe were the chief inhabitants. They were an ancient order, devoted to maintaining peace and justice across creation. How that was enforced, however, was a matter of some debate.

The idea had been to use artificial beings, dubbed 'Manhunters', to enforce the law and maintain peace. The result was nothing short of a total disaster. A meeting of the Guardians was convened and had been going ever since.

The blue skinned beings were hopelessly deadlocked. Half wanted to shut down the Manhunters while the other half wished to keep them in use. At length, one Guardian finally spoke. Ganthet floated down to the center of the meeting hall and spoke of the need for individualism, for planets to police themselves.

When asked how, without the aid of the Manhunters, this would be accomplished, Ganthet simply spread his hands. A green light shone between them.

The idea was put as simply as possible. A party would search and find the Starheart. The Starheart was a massive thing, a living piece of magic and power. It had been searched for before and by countless races, but the Guardians had time on their side.

So it was, centuries later, that the Starheart was located. The Weaponers of the planet Qward claimed it as a divine symbol and source of power for their weapons. The Manhunters followed their directives and after a fierce battle took the massive stone back to Oa. During the fight and subsequent flight, a small piece was blasted off and drifted through space.

As the Starheart was reformed into a massive power source for Oa's latest idea, the sliver floated through the cosmos until it drifted into the orbit of a small planet. It plunged to the world's molten surface and there it stayed as the oceans formed and cooled around it.

Life came to the small planet. Ages came and went and life evolved. The area where the sliver landed came to be eventually known as China. A simple tradesman named Chang was traveling back to his village one day, casually swinging a shovel when he struck at the right rock at the right time. The sliver was exposed to air for the first time and burned a brilliant green.

Chang carefully wrapped the sliver in a torn shirt and carried it back to the village. As he neared his home, the sliver grew warm in his hands. He dropped it before a small gathering of men. "Three time shall I flame green. First-to bring death! Second-to bring life! Third-to bring power!" The voice, in perfect regional dialect spoke once as the sliver blazed with green flame.

"It's evil! We must destroy it!" Several men muttered.

"Back! Are you children to be frightened by tales?" Chang brandished his shovel. "I found this rock, it's mine to do with as I please!"

Chang returned home and commenced to drink as he tried to come up with idea on what to do with the rock. After several hours, it came to him that the piece would be big enough to forge a lantern. So, he worked well into the night. As his fires cooled and the night slowly turned lighter, Chang admired his handiwork. "That is one fine lantern!"

So engrossed was he that he failed to hear the door opening or the footsteps. He sensed someone behind him, but it was too late. A staff swung and shattered his skull.

"Lee, did you have to kill him?" One of the men cursed.

Lee laughed. "The rock said it burn three times. It's brought death, now what will it give me, life? No, this lantern is nice but Chang must have been a wizard to pull that trick off. Spread out, search every inch of this hovel!"

Unseen by the men, the lantern started to glow. They stopped as the room was filled with a sickly green glow. Before any of them could comment, the light turned into a raging inferno. Everything, including the killers, was turned to ash.

Chang's house was left abandoned, eventually rotting apart. The lantern was found by a passing mercenary who rode into battle with it. And so it was the lantern was passed around from owner to owner.

Centuries later it finally made its way across the Pacific and from there across the continent to the north east where it finally came to rest in a scrap pile by Arkham Asylum.

The lantern was buried under scrap and garbage and likely would have remained if one inmate; a Mr. Billings, who hadn't spoken a word since his being committed, found the lantern and took it back to his cell.

With crude tools at his disposal, Billings started to reshape the lantern. Despite the age there was no sign of rust. Chang's handiwork was chiseled and hammered into a more modern shape. Billings worked well into the night, but looking down at the scraps of green gave him a sudden compulsion. Picking up a large chunk, he started to carve it into the shape of a ring, with a smaller version of the new lantern on it.

The early rays of the morning sun crept through the bars as Billings carefully placed the ring inside a small drawer inside the lantern. As the guards began their morning rounds, one could have sworn the light from Billings' cell turned a brilliant green for a few seconds.

Opening the cell, they found Billings sitting calmly on his stool. "I say, could any of you fellows tell me where I am?"

The following days were a flurry of activity for Billings. He answered all questions put to him, underwent every test the doctors could think of and within hours was declared fully cured and released. His belongings were packed up by the orderlies and sent with him, but the green lantern was taken by one of the orderlies and tossed in the garbage.

By 1940 the lantern had made its way to a train company was currently placed on a caboose. Alana Scott nervously glanced around the platform. An older man with a bushy mustache appeared at the other end. "Jimmy!"

"Alana!" the older man moved as fast as he could and embraced her. "Ready for your first trip kiddo?"

"I've been on trains before I'll have you know." She tried to sound serious.

"Yeah, but never over a bridge you designed. Your first bridge…Alana if your father could see you now…". Jimmy trailed off. "I know your old man would be proud."

"Thanks, but if you hadn't held my feet to the fire I might not have come this far!" She picked up her bag and boarded the train as the conductor called for passengers.

"What, that nonsense with Dekker? Don't let him worry you kid. He's just a big gasbag that's all. Engineering field's full of him. Pompous know-it-alls who can't let anyone else have a turn. When word gets out about this bridge you'll be the talk of the town!"

They headed to their cabin and waited for the train to pull out of the station.

Some miles ahead, placed at a critical point on the bridge's integrity, was a large bundle. Wires ran down the wood until they ended at a familiar sight of a detonator. "Can we blow it now?" One of the men whined. The bald heavyset man idly kicked a stray rock.

"Quiet you mugs! The boss said when the train was halfway. That way the weight will remove any signs of our handiwork." The leader ran a hand through his greasy bowl cut hair.

"Hey, I see 'em!" A third man watched through binoculars. His hair stuck out in two wild directions, crowning his bald spot neatly.

"Ok, ok, just keep watching!" the leader watched through his own telescope. When he saw the train bearing down on the bridge, he pressed the plunger.

The explosion was earth-shattering. The bridge vanished in a white hot second as the interior turned black before turning into ash. The train plunged downward, crashing full tilt into the canyon below.

The three men picked up their tools and scampered back to their car.

Alana slowly opened her eyes. "Jimmy?" The world was smoke, fire, and screaming. She opened her eyes. That was a mistake. She crawled, slowly and painfully for what seemed like a hundred years until she felt fresh air.

She finally felt something not broken in her hands. Opening her eyes, she saw the lantern. The light was green and bathed her in a strange light. She passed out but before she did, she could have sworn she heard a voice speaking to her. "You have been chosen!"

The following days blurred together. She found among the wreckage and taken to the nearest hospital. Miraculously she had no major injuries and was quietly released. That didn't end the trouble, as from there reporters badgered her every step of the way, all but accusing her of either sabotage or general incompetence.

Her lawyers managed to block most of them, but when she finally returned to the office, she felt the employees stares as she silently walked to her office. The hours turned into days. She rarely went home, sleeping on the floor.

"I went over everything!" She pounded her fist on the table. "That bridge was perfect! How did it fall?"

The room turned green. She bolted from her chair. It was well past closing time. She went to her office door when she realized the light was coming from the lantern on her shelf. "How did this get here?"

"Alana Scott!" A voice boomed in her mind. "You have been chosen! Approach me and receive power beyond your imagination!"

She slowly approached the lantern. It seemed solid, but she noticed a small mark on the inside. She tapped it, revealing a small ring. "Slip the ring on and recite after me: In Brightest Day, in darkest night, no evil shall escape my sight! Let those who worship evil's might beware my power-green lantern's light!"

She slipped the ring on her finger and recited the pledge. She was enveloped in a green light. When the light faded, she found herself dressed in a strange costume. On her face was a green mask. Her dress was gone, replaced with red tunic and green trousers. Her shoes were now red boots. A symbol of the lantern was on her chest, while a large cape topped off the outfit.

"What is this? Am I going crazy?"

"You now wield the mightiest power in the universe. Use it only for good, recharge your ring once every twenty-four of your hours." The voice spoke once more before fading away.

"I don't suppose you've any blueprints on how this thing works?" She poked the lantern. The voice was silent. "Well, since I've gone crazy, I might as well have some fun."

The ceiling tile poked her head. Looking up, she found herself inches from the ceiling. Looking down, she saw the floor some distance away from her feet. Letting out a yelp, she tried to grab the tile, but found her hands passing through the material.

She continued to flail as she floated up through the floors until she stopped on the roof. "Holy Hannah!" She carefully walked to the edge, unsure if she would fall through the roof. She looked over Gotham City. "This ring! Somehow, I've been granted more power than the average person, like Wonder Woman!"

The ring glowed. "I think I'll pay a visit to Mr. Dekker."

The office lights of the Dekker Engineering Firm were still on. Alana, now calling herself the Green Lantern, flew over the city. A few people who bothered to look up would have dismissed her as a green streak across the sky.

She landed on the roof. Closing her eyes, she slowly floated down through roof and went through the floors until she landed in Dekker's office. The room was empty, but she heard voices outside the door.

Ducking into the closet, she listened carefully as she heard the outer door open. Footsteps followed, then the office door. "Boys, I want to thank you." Dekker's voice still had the same oily quality.

"No problem boss!" a rougher voice answered. "Your set up and info were the real hard stuff, all I had to do was press a plunger."

That was enough for her. She kicked the door open, her fist blazing green. "Dekker! You swine, I know what you did!"

Dekker remained calm while his stooges panicked. "Ventilate this mook!"

The three thugs drew their guns and fired. She threw up her hand and to her (and the others) amazement, the bullets stopped. A glowing green shield appeared before her, stopping all the bullets.

"What are you?" the lead thug gasped.

"The Green Lantern!" She imagined a baseball striking all the men out. A glowing green figure, sporting a Gotham City Rogues uniform, appeared and hit three equally green baseballs. All three hit the men directly in their foreheads, sending them crashing to the floor.

She heard a window open behind her. In an instant the player returned to the nothingness from whence he came. She saw Dekker crawling out of the window.

"There'll be no escape for you murderer!"

"Stay away from me!" Dekker screamed. Maybe it was his fear and panic, or maybe the ledge was poorly maintained, but in a second his footing vanished and the older man pitched backwards towards the street.

She followed him. Floating close, she imagined a massive pillow. A giant green pillow appeared in the street. Dekker hit it and slid carefully down to the street.

Onlookers crowed the street as Dekker staggered towards a disbelieving patrolman. "I did it!" Dekker screamed. "I sabotaged the bridge, I used cheap materials, I took bribes, all the evidence in my safe…" he clutched his chest and fell over.

As an ambulance was called, the Green Lantern flew back to the office. The three thugs were slowly getting to their feet. "Alright boys, do you feel like coming in quietly?"

The fattest of the threesome grabbed a baseball bat Dekker had placed behind his desk, autographed by various club owners. "Think you're a wise guy, eh?" He swung.

The Green Lantern summoned another shield, but to her shock the wooden bat passed through it like it was nothing more than shadow and connected solidly with her midsection.

She was driven to the floor, gasping for breath. "Hey fellas, she ain't so tough after all!"

The other two nodded. The leader picked up a chair while the balding one picked up a wooden wastebasket. The Green Lantern slowly crawled towards the window. The footsteps on the carpet were drawing closer. She closed her eyes.

The entire wall came crashing down in as a green bulldozer burst into the room. The debris pelted the thugs. The bat wielding fat one took a chunk of masonry to the head. His eyes crossed as he listened to unseen birds before he staggered off.

The other two were buried under rubble. The Green Lantern floated out of the room as police rushed into the building. A large green pillow enveloped her as she slowly passed out.

The next day, Alana woke up in her office. "Was it a dream?" She was about to write the whole thing off as a mad fantasy until she noticed the large green ring on her finger. Standing up; slowly as the throbbing from her ribs still screamed at her, Alana limped over to the green lantern on her shelf.

"This gift must be used wisely!" She looked down at the pile of unread newspapers. Picking up the top one, she glanced at the headline. "Superwoman and the Bat? Well, why not? If they can be heroes, why not the Green Lantern?" She carefully placed the ring back inside the lantern and slipped it inside her bag.

At the stately abode of Elizabeth Wayne, similar newspapers were being studied. Dick Grayson came down to the table and tore into his breakfast with gusto. Wayne herself was sitting at the far end of the table, taking the occasional sips of coffee.

"Boy, we sure showed those mugs last night, didn't we?" Dick said between bites of bacon and eggs.

"Yes, but I fear we've been kicked out of the spotlight, at least for tonight." She showed him the headline of the Gotham Gazette. 'Green Lantern attacks Crooks, ringleader dies after confession' read the headline.

Dick paused and took the paper. "Gosh, a new mystery man?"

"A woman I think, none of the pictures are clear but that may change." Elizabeth leaned back in her chair. "So, Gotham has an emerald gladiator as well as a dark knight, eh? This may require further monitoring."

The end

All American Mail

Based on "the Origin of the Green Lantern" which was first published in All-American Comics#16 (July 1940) with credits to Bill Finger (writer) and Martin Nodell (artist)

Next time, "The Sign of the Green Lantern!"

Because I apparently had too much free time, I've added yet another series. Yes, this one will focus on the Green Lantern of Earth-25. Possible other heroes as well, but we'll just see what the future holds.

And keep your eyes out for the following tales

Sensation Comics#15-The Railroad Plot

Detective Comics#14-The Case of the Joker

Action Comics#14-Superwoman at the World's Fair


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